Coal shortage hits brick kilns functioning in Kumarghat; development works affected

A severe coal shortage has disrupted operations at brick kilns across the Kumarghat subdivision of Unakoti district and  due to the non-availability of coal from Meghalaya, brick production and burning have come to a halt in several kilns across the subdivision.

According to sources, coal is primarily imported from Meghalaya for burning bricks in the state. Recently, following an accident at a coal mine in Meghalaya that reportedly claimed the lives of several coal miners, coal extraction activities have been suspended. As a result, coal supply to neighbouring Tripura has almost stopped, directly affecting brick kiln operations.

In Kumarghat subdivision, there are currently five brick kilns. Owners of these kilns stated that due to the suspension of coal supply from Meghalaya, they are unable to continue brick burning and this has led to a growing shortage of bricks in the region, potentially impacting ongoing government development projects and private constructions.

Typically, brick-making activities begin around November and continue through December, January, and February. During these four months, bricks are manufactured and fired to meet demand for the rest of the year.

However, with coal imports halted for the past several days, kiln operations have been completely disrupted. Although workers have already prepared raw bricks, the absence of coal has made it impossible to fire them. If the situation continues, brick production will decline significantly, leading to further shortages, said a brick kiln owner.

He alleged that while transporting coal from Meghalaya, they face various forms of harassment and also claimed that in Assam, coal-laden vehicles are often stopped at multiple checkpoints by police and other groups, and money is allegedly demanded at each gate. In some cases, they reportedly have to pay thousands of rupees per truck. If payments are not made, vehicles are allegedly detained, said the owner.

Despite the coal prices not increasing significantly at the source, these additional expenses have raised transportation costs. Consequently, kiln owners are compelled to increase brick prices to meet the higher operational costs.

It may be recalled here that for nearly fifteen days, no coal has reached the brick kilns in Kumarghat subdivision. If the supply does not resume soon, a serious brick shortage may emerge in the coming days, affecting both construction activities and development projects in the region.